Safety train-order cabinet.



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' Patented June 15, 1909.

G. B. HANLEY.

SAFETY TRAIN ORDER CABINET.

PrLIoATIoN FILED snm'. 15. 190s. 924,772.

' Mig/ CHARLES B. HANLEY, OF NEW IBERIA, LOUISIANA.

SAFETY TRAIN-ORDER CABINET.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed September 15, 1908.

Patented .Tune 15, 1909.

Serial No. 453,095.

To all whom 'it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES B. IIANLEY, a citizen of the United States,residing at New Iberia, in the county of Iberia and State of Louisiana,have invented a new and useful Safety Train-Order Cabinet, of which thefollowing is a specication.

rlhis invention has reference to improvements in safety train ordercabinets and its object is to provide a means whereby an operator at ablock station or a train order station will when making out train ordersautomatically set the target or targets at stop.

In block systems it is customary to run the trains from block to blockon orders and at points to stop the trains and give copies of the ordersboth to the engine man and conductor and for the conductor to sign hisname to the order retained by the operator. Sometimes the operator mayforget to set the target against the train and so permit the train topass without orders, and again the failure of the operator from anycause to set a target against the train at a point where orders aregiven will indicate to the engine man that from carelessness or othercause the target has not been set against him and he must therefore stopto investigate. It happens sometimes that an operator will set a targetto safety to release the train after orders have been given and thenbeing occupied by other work will fail to again properly set the targetwhen the next train approaches so that the engine man seeing the targetat safety will pass the station without orders.

By the present invention there is provided a cabinetfor the reception ofthe order blanks or forms assembled together as tablets and thesetablets are mounted upon a holder which when inserted in the cabinetbridges the terminals of an electric circuit within the portion of thecabinet designed to receive the particular tablet of orders and thecabinet is so constructed that when all the order tablets are in placetherein, and then only is the circuit completed and this completedcircuit, which is a normally charged circuit is made to Venergizesuitable mechanism which will operate the target and carry it to theproper position.

When the operator desires to write out an order it is necessary that aproper one of the tablets and its holder be removed from the cabinet inorder that the operator may write thereon the proper message. As soon asany one of the order tablets is removed from the cabinet then thecircuit is ruptured by the removal of the bridge between the respectiveterminals belonging to the particular tablet under consideration.Therefore as soon as all order tablet is removed from the cabinet thetarget controlled by the particular order tablet, is moved to the stopor danger position. New the operator can only again set the target tosafety or clear by returning the tablet into the cabinet.

The invention will be best understood from a consideration of thefollowing detail description taken in connection with the aocompanyingdrawings forming a part of this specification, in which drawings, Figure1 is an elevation of the cabinet for receiving the train order tablets.Fig. 2 is a perspective view of one of the tablet holders with thetablet of orders or order blanks shown in dotted lines thereon. Fig. 3is a vertical section through a portion of the cabinet showing a formwhere the tablet holders are arranged to gravitate to the circuitclosing position. Fig. 4 is a plan view partly in section of a singlecompartment in the cabinet where the circuit terminals are arranged nearhe front of the cabinet. Fig. '5 is a plan view partly in section of asingle compartment where the tablet controls trains running in oppositedirections.

Referring to the drawings there is shown a cabinet having sides 1, back2, and top 3. The cabinet is also provided with a central partition 4reaching from an intermediate shelf 5 to the top 3. Extending from thepartition 4 to the respective sides 1 are a number of spaced shelves 6dividing` the cabinet into two vertical series of compartments 7 andeach vertical series may be further differentiated by an intermediatedistinctive shelf 8. Below the shelf 5 and to one side of the partition4 is another vertical partition 9 extending between the shelf 5 and astill lower shelf 10. The distance between the partition 9 and one side1 is less than the distance between the partition 4 and thecorresponding side 1, and the distance between the partition 9 and theother side 1 is greater than the distance between the partition 4 andthe corresponding side' 1. The wider space is divided into compartments11 by suitable shelves 12 and on the other side of the partition 9 thespace may be divided into a suitable number of compartments by shelves13. The space between the lowermost shelf and the bottom 14 of thecabinet may be occupied by a drawer 15, or the drawer space may beomitted as desired.

Each shelf 6 carries two laterally spaced conducting plugs or studs 16extending a short distance aoove the upper surface oi' the shelf andalso extending through the shelf to the under surface thereof where itis connected to a conductor 17 leading to and through the back 2 of thecabinet. All the terminal plugs or studs 16 of a coacting group ofcompartments 7 are connected together in series with the leading inconductors one of which is shown at 17 in Fig. 1. The

arrangement is such that a leading in conductor will be connected to onestud 16 ol' say the uppermost compartment 7 oi a group, and then theother stud of the same compartment is connected to the correspondingstud of the neXt lower compartment, and the second stud of the said nextlower compartment is connected to the corresponding stud of the thirdcompartment and so through all the compartments until the last stud ofthe last of the vertical series of compartments is connected to theother conductor leading away from the cabinet.

The conductors 17 are assumed to lead to a target operating mechanismwherein a breaking of the electric circuit will cause the target to moveto the danger or train order position while the completion of thecircuit will hold the target in the safety position or train releaseposition if that be the desirable position,

One series of compartments 7 is designed to carry the several ordertablets used to control the trains moving in one direction, while theother vertical series of compartments 7 is designed to carry ordertablets for orders controlling trains moving in the other direction, andthe electric circuits from these two series of compartments arecorrespondingly arranged. The compartmentsill are so arranged as tocontrol trains moving in both directions at once and consequently thereare two sets of terminals 16 in each compartment 11 so that targetscontrolling trains running in each direction will be simultaneouslyactuated or controlled.

In order to bridge the contacts 16 of each compartment there is provideda conducting tablet holder 18, best shown in Fig. 2. Since forconstructive reasons it is preferable to make the terminals or studs 16of metal and preferably copper or brass, the tablet holder 18 is alsomade of metal of similar nature and is made large enough not only tosupport a tablet of orders or blanks but also to bridge the dist-ancebetween two terminals 16 in a compartment 7. Since it is customary toform tablets of blanks with a cardboard back, the support 18 is madewith clips 1.9 for receiving the cardboard back and so causing theattachmentof the tablet to the holder or plate 18. In Fig. 2 the tabletis indicated in dotted lines at 20 and in the other figures the tablet20 is indicated in full lines where shown.

Considering the tablet in the position in which it is placed for writingout the orders thereon, it is customary to insert the upper end of thetablet holder into the compartment so that the bottom end of the tabletholder is the accessible end when it is desirable to remove the samefrom the cabinet.

By tilting the shelves 6 so that their inner ends are lower than theirouter ends and locating the terminal studs 16 near the rear end of theshelves, and also by slightly rounding the top edge of the tablet holder18, the operation of the device is facilitated because as soon as thetablets and their holders are inserted into the cabinet they willgravitate to the lower end of the shelves and close the circuit, theslight rounding of the top edge of the tablet holder facilitating Vthismovement since it will prevent the tablet holder from engaging the studsat its eX- treme edge and so making for contact therewith, or possiblywith one only. The curved edge causes the end ofthe tablet holder toride up on the plugs and so make good contact therewith; Furthermore anyattempt to write a message upon a tablet without removing it from thecabinet is not possible with the structure shown in Fig. 3, withoutopening the circuit. Y

Let it be supposed that the operator is about to receive a train order,he removes the proper tablet from the cabinet in order that he may usethe tablet in the usual manner. The removal of the tablet from thecabinet has caused the rupturing `of the circuit and the correspondingtarget immediately assumes the danger or stop position. When the trainarrives at the station and there stops because of the position of thetarget the orders are given in the usual manner and the conductorssignature is obtained. Then in order to release the train it isnecessary that the tablet holder beV replaced in the cabinet to againclose the circuit since otherwise the target will remain at the stopposition.

Vihat is claimed is 115 1. A train order cabinet comprising a series ofcompartments having spaced circuit terminals arranged in series witheach other and with an external circuit, and train order tabletk holdersof conducting vmaterial for bridging the circuit terminals when in thecabinet, said holders having the edge first engaging the circuitterminals upturned.

2. A train order cabinet having compartments for train orders fortrainsbound in one direction, othercompartments for train orders for trainsbound in the other direction, spaced circuit terminals in eachcompartment, train order tablet carriers of conducting material adaptedto bridge the circuit terminals when said carriers are inserted in thecabinet, other compartments for train orders for trains bound in bothdirections and each having tWo sets of circuit terminals, and trainorder tablet carriers adapted to bridge both sets of circuit terminals,in the last named compartments, at the same time, when the said tabletcarriers are inserted therein.

3. A train order cabinet comprising a series of compartments havinginclined bottoms and spaced circuit terminals arranged in series Witheach other and With an eX- ternal circuit, said circuit terminals beingto the rear end of the compartment, and train order tablet holders ofconducting material for bridging the circuit terminals When the saidcarriers are in the cabinet, the carriers having the edge iii-stengaging the circuit terminals upturned.

4. A train order cabinet having a series of tablet receptacleselectrically connected Wit-h s aced circuit terminals in each receptac eand a bridging tablet carrier for the circuit terminals of eachreceptacle, there being a series of rece tacles and bridging tabletcarriers for each direction of travel of the trains, and another seriesof receptacles and bridging tablet carriers, the last named receptacleshaving distinct sets of interconnected spaced circuit terminals, thesaid last named receptacles and tablet carriers being provided for thecontrol at one time of trains bound in both directions.

ln testimony that l claim the foregoing as CHAS. B. HANLEY..

Vitnesses J. J. CLARK, LAWRENCE T. HANLEY.

